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A Centennial ‘Address 
| LE REX 


BY 


JOHN T. ALBRITTON, 


Delivered before Island Creek Baptist Church, 
Duplin County, North Carolina, Friday, 
June 5th, 1903, and published by 
request of the church. 


Fayetteville, N. C. 
N. C. Baptist, Publishers. 
1908. 


Island Creek Baptist churcn is the out- 
come of the missionary spirit that pos- 
sessed and impelled our pioneer Baptist 
preachers of a hundred years ago. Had 
the churches, iike the preachers, been 
likewise possessed and impelled, and had 
the wolf of dissension never entered the 
Baptist fold to alienate and scatter the 
Lord’s sheep, instead of there being only 
seventeen Missionary Baptist churches in 
Duplin county, there would have been a 
church in every neighvorhood in the 
county today. With pardonuble pride 
and devout gratitude to God, we look back 
upon the work of our fore-fathers, endur- 
ing hardships, undertaking long, weari- 
some journeys on foov and on horse-back, 
foregoing the rest and domestic felicity 
of heme-life, that they might carry the 
- tidings of salvation to the destitute and 
perishing. ‘Their heroic and self denying 
labors were performed without any other 
compensation than the consciousness of 
doing good and of having the approval 
of their Divine Master. It was the mis- 
sionary spirit that brought Paul Palmer 
to North Carolina and led him to organize 
tus first Baptist church in the State at 
Shiloh, Camden county, in 1727. The 
Same spirit led him into Onslow county 
where he organized a Baptist church at 
New River. The same spirit moved Job 
Thigpen from Edgecombe to Duplin 


AU aes: 


county about 1781. There was at that 
date but one Baptist church in thecounty 
—the church on Bear Marsh, constituted 
in 1763. Thigpen settled in the neighbor- 
hood of the present Muddy Creek church. 
tie and his wife were the only Baptists in 
that section at that time. He had been 
preaching about a year as a minister of 
the free-will order, say Burkitt and Read 
in their ‘‘History of the Kehukee Associ- 
tion.’? A considerable number were bap- 
tized by him as the fruit of his ministerial 
labors. These, under the guidance of 
Robert Nixon, pastorof New River church, 
were received into the fellowship of the 
particular baptist churches, and Nixon 
served them as pastor five or six years— 
or until February 25, 1792, when they 
were constituted into an independent 
Baptist church of 80 members. That is, 
Muddy Creek church was probably a 
branch of New River church up to 1792, 
when she became an independent body. 
So was Island Creek church a branch of 
Muddy Creek up to 1815, when she be- 
came likewise independent. | 


- Elder Thigpen was ordained as pas- 
tor of Muddy Creek May, 1793, the pres- 
bytery consisting of Robert Nixon, John 
Dillahunty, and Francis Oliver. These 
facts concerning Thigpen and Muddy 
Creek church may be found in the ‘‘His- 
tory of the Kehukee Association,” pub- 
lished in 1808. 


See eS!) hUh 


Like other pastors of that period Elder 
Thigpen sought to cultivate the destitute 
fields within his reach. Among these 
was the Island Creek community. Here 
several persons were led to embrace the 
Gespel as we hold it, and the earliest 
church records we can find, state that the 
members ‘‘met at Island Creek meeting 
house Friday before the fourth Lord’s 
day in November, 1902, and chose Hider 
Francis Oliver moderator, and Bro. David 


Sloan clerk.’’ Nothing is said about or- 


ganizing; but the body is spoken of as 
‘‘the members which afterwards composed 
this church.’’ The fact that in 1802 they 
had a meeting kouse, and the nature of 
the business transacted indicate that the 
Island Creek body was a Baptist church 
for Some time prior to the date of 1802. 
This earliest record states that letters of 
correspondence were received from Bull 
Tail,—_now called Wells’ Chapel,— Bear 
Marsh, and New River. Messengers were 
appointed to visit these churches. While 
the church considered herself a branch of 
Muddy Creek up to June 3, 1815, yet 
through all the intervening years, the 
brethree met at their own house, chose 
their moderator and clerk, and received, 
tried, dismissed, and expelled members 
just as any other Baptist church would 
do. Inthe minutes of July, 1803, they 
call themselves ‘‘the church,’’ In the 
latter part of 1803, a brother Murray was 


chosen by the church, and ordained by 
Klders Wells and Thigpen to serve them. 
September, 1804, Klder Thigpen read the 
Jetter to the (Neuse) Association, and the 
church raised two doliara for the Associa- 
tion fund. 


We conclude, therefore, that Island 
Creek was a Baptist church long before 
the date of 1815, and for sometime before 
the date of 1802; but that uv to 1815 she 
was under the watch-care of Muddy 
Creek, tho mother church. 


I will now call the earliest roll found on 
records. Probably most of the names are 
those of constituent members Males:— 
Joseph Johnson, James Murray, Richard 
Chasten, David Sloan, David Quinn, 
Zachariah Carter Joseph Hodgeson, 
Amos Sheffield, S Evans, Wm Chasten 
Stephen Sanders, Aaron Hodgeson, 
George Evans, Wm. Streets and Simon 
Wood Femules:—Nancy Sloan, Mary 
Norris, Rilla Cavenaugh, Eunice John- 
son, Esther Quinn, Anna Murray, Eliza- 
beth Costin, Phebe Mouse, Clara Stallings, 
Elizabeth Hodgeson, Bethany Evans, 
Elizabeth Sutlif, Mary Streets, Sarah 
Evans, Martha Jones, Mary Powers and 
Ann Harreli. There were in all 32 mem- 
bers,—a goodly number with which to be- 
gin. Bear Marsh began in 17638 with d 
males and 5 females. The first Baptist 
church of Goldsboro began in 1843 with 
only 5 members. And the first Baptist 


ehurchon earth began in Galilee with 
only three members,— John, Andrew and 
the Saviour,—enough to claim the prom- 
ise in Matthew 18:20. Bengel well calls 
this trio ‘“‘the first i kag of me 
Christian church.’ Si. f 


Island Creek ghee is artes in 
having preserved her records through 
nearly all the years of her existence. 
Many good and faithful men have served 
as clerks Among the earliest officers 
serving in this capacity were Jacob 
Teachey and Hiram Murray. Hiram 
Murray and Hiram Stallings served the 
church about 22 years each,—the former 
as clerk, and the latter as pastor. 


Among the ministerial brethren whose 
names are frequently found on the records 
of the first half of the last century, either 
as clerks, moderators, or pastors, are the 
following: Job higpen, Francis Oliver, 
Needham Whitfield, Joseph Johnson, 
Wm. Wells, Jacob Williams, Hiram 
Stallings, Wm. J. Finley, Benajah Car- 
roli, David Rogers, and G. W. Hufham-: 
There were, doubtless, others whose 
names do not now occur to me. 


Much of the recoras up to the period of 
- missionary awakening is dry and menot- 
onous, stating who were the moderators, 
clerks, and messengers received from and 
sent to sister churches, and then that they 
adjourned for want ef cther business. 


THEIR DISCIPLINE. 


Now and then an offending member 
would be dealt with, and either excused 
or declared “ripe for excommunication ”’ 

Frequently, alas! too frequently, breth- 
ren wouid be reported for ‘‘transgression 
in drinking too much of spirituous lia- 

‘uors,’’—a long phrase tenderly and deh- 
cately framed to express what we mean 
by the word drunkenness. 

On the whole, the records indicate that 
there was a good degree of spirituality 
among those old time brethren, and a 
promptness to reprove intemperance. dis- 
honesty, unchastity, and other disorderly 

or unchristian conduct. % 

In 1816 the church arraigned a member 
on the charge of putting into the Associa- 
tion fund a non-passable 6 cent oit. He 
was promptly expelled after the brethren 
became agueied that the act was inten- 
tional. O'S 

In 6,4 member was reported for 
cruel ‘treatment of onecf his slaves, 
Having failed to bring the offender to 
repentance, the church expelled him from 

ber fellowship, Theslave-holding breth- 
ren of Island Creek, like the great mass 

“of slave holders in the South, were gen 

erally kind to their slaves, and careful. 
for their physical and moral welfare, 
building for them galleries and other 
apartments intheir houses of worship. 
Many, like the Pettigrews and Collinses, 


of Washington county, built chape!s and 
employed pious and intelligent ministers 
for the spirttual benefit of their saves 
In those days, such a monstrosity asa 
negro rapist was unknown among us. 
The good master was the rule: the bad 
master was the exception; and facts like 
the above give the lie to such vile sllin- 
ders as ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and other 
slanderous publications of a vitiated press. 


VALUABLE HISTORY. 

The records of Island Creek church are 
invaluable, as indicating the time ator 
near which the various churches within 
her reach sprang up; for it was a rule of 
the church *o open cor.espondence with 
sister churches as fast as they came into 
being. In1804and 1805 she corresponded 
with Tomas’ meeting house and Wolf 
Branch. I know not where these churches 
were situated. Benedict mentions aJon- 
athan Thomas, of Duplin One of these 
churches was probably in his neighbur- 
hood. There was correspordence between 
Island Creek and Nahunga, (now cal’ed 
Johnson), in 1807; and Concord in 1807; 
and Limestone, (now Hallsville), in 1811; 
and Beaver Dam, (now Magzrolia), in 
1834; and Mt..Holly, in 1835; and Kenans- 
villein 1839. Correspondence was kept 
up with Muddy Creek, the mother church, 
unti 1833 

NUMERICAL GROWTH. 


The records contain very meagre infor- 


mation about the growth of the member- 
ship. The oldest church roll contains the 
names of 32 members. Associational min- 
utes furnish the following statistics: The 
Cape Fear Minutes for 1822 reports 42 
members. Richard Chasten and Hiram 
Murray were delegates. The Goshen min- 
utes report 56 members in 1854; 43 mem- 
bers in 1842; and 71 members in 184s. 
During this year 31 additions resulted 
from revival services Tne minutes of 
the Union, (now Eastern), Association for 
1853 report 100 members; for 1883 172 
members; for 1892 154 members; for 1902 
229 members. This is the largest number 
found on the recored as belonging to this 
church 
THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH. 


Elder Job Thigpen was pastor from the 
beginning to the year 1815. About this 
date he moved into another county,—too, 
faraway to continue his connection with 
the church. 

In 1816 Jacob Williams, pas‘or of Lime- 
stone (Hallsville), consented to serve 
Island Creek quarterly, (and monthly 
when he could,) for one year. He con- 
tinued to serve the church till his death 
in 1823 or 724. 

The erdination of Hiram Stallings was 
ca led for in 1828, in order that he might 
become your. pastor. He served you 
from June, 1824 to June 1846, or about 22 
years. He was the honored father of Klder 


J. N. Stallings, a brother known to many 
of you. 

Kider W. M. Kennedy was called to 
supply the pulpit in 1854. 

Elders G.S Best and H. R. Kornegay 
are mentioned as preaching and presiding 
from 1857 to 1863. 

Kider John R. Oliver became pastor in 
1863; Oliver Matthews in 1868, and Alfred 
Guy in 1869. 

The first mention of pastor’s salary 
was in }870, when the church ayreed to 
pay Bro. Guy $100 a year. 

H. M. Croom became pastor in 1876, 
and G S. Best again in 1878. 

Your humble servant was pastor from 
June, 1883 to the close of 1892. 

From 1892 to the present, brethren 
VanHoy, Carroll, Stewart and Tolar, and 
possibly others, whose names I do not 
now recall, have served the church. 
Brother J. N. Tolar, the present pastor, 
is leading the church forward in evan- 
gelistic work 

BENEVOLENT WORK. 


The records show that, for half a 
century or more, this church, like too 
many uthers in the State, did compara- 
tively nothing for the spread of the Gos- 
pel in the regions beyond. Too long did 
our Baptist fathers seem to be ignorant 
of the world wide significance of the Re- 
deemer’slastcommand. We long seemed 
to be under the influence of the narrow 


spirit that moved the old brother to pray: 
‘Lord! bless me and my wife, my son, 
John, and his .wife - us four, and no 
more!” Our attitude towards the great 
missionary enterprise was that of indif- 
ference or non-recognition, rather than 
of open hostility. 

The earliest mention of a movement 
for the spread of the Gospel is found in 
the minutes of November, 1822, where 
Richard Chasten moved to raise a fund 
for traveling preachers. Bro. Chasten 
was one of the most Godly men ever con- 
nected with this church. After nearly 
fifty years of fellowship and _ service 
among you, he departed this life in 1851, 
in the 83rd year of his age. The church 
spread upon her minutes a resolution ex- 
pressive of her great affection for him 
and her sense of irreparable loss in nis 
departure. 

In 1855 this church paid to the Exec- 
utive committee $12 60 for Associational 
missions. In 1857 she gave $4.09 for the 
same object, and $16.00 for Warsaw 
High School. 

Soon after becoming pastor in 1883, I 
persuaded the brethren to take up public 
collections for the various Associational 
and Conventional objects. Although it 
was feared by some that such a measure 
would diminish the congregation, they 
agreed to try quarterly collections.. By 
1889 we had moved up to monthly collec- 


tions In 1883 wereported to the Associa- 
tion $18.00; in 1884 $23.00; in 1885 $17.35. 
(This year 33 members were dismissed to 
form a new church.) In 1891 we sent up 
$37.87. Under my successors in the pas- 
torate, the contributions have continued 
to increase, those of 1898 amounting to 
$60 45. During my pastorate, the breth- 
ren were burdened withthe expense of re- 
building their house of worship, at a cost 
of about $600. At the close of my ten 
years’ work among them they did not 
owe their pastor a cent. Happy is the 
pastor who has such co-workers as were 
Chauncy Harrell, Enoch He ds, the Mal- 
lards, the Teacheys, the Wailaces, the 
Browns, the Hancheys, the Wells, the 
Cooks, etc., besides honorabl2 women not 
a few. 


SOME PICNEER PREACHERS. 


It is a matter of deep regret that we 
know so little about the foundation build- 
ers to whose sacrificing labors this old 
church owes her beginning. Then, we 
would like to know more about John 
Dillahunty and Robert Nixon, the two 
men who, with Francis Oliver. set apart 
to the full work of the Gospel ministry, 
Job Thigpen, the first pastor of Island 
Creek. 


NEEDHAM WHITFIELD 


was a wealthy planter living near White 
Hall, Wayne county. He was a member 


of Bear Marsh church up to about 1805 or 
1808, In 1811, according to Benedict, he 
was pastor of Pleasant Plains in Wayne 
county. 


ROBERT NIXON, 


of Onslow county, was pastor of New 
River in said county, the chureh planted 
by Paul Palmer, and of a church on 
White Oak river in Jones county. Bur- 
kitt and Read, in their ‘‘Kehukee Associa- 
tion,’? speak of Elder Nixon as being a 
remarkably pious and zealous minister of 
the Gospel. Dr. J D. Hufham says that 
‘during the war of the revolution, the 
Committee or Council of Safety made an 
appropriation of ten pounds or fifty dol- 
lars for his voluntary services in minis- 
tering to the soldiers who were defend- 
ing the coast ”’ Afteralong and usefui 
life, he was calied home by the Master 
December 4th, 1794,—or about a year and 
a half after his service in the erdination 
of island Creek’s first pastor. 


JOHN DILLAHUNTY 


was born in Kent county, Maryland, 
December 8th, 1728, of Catholic parentage. 
About the middie of the 18th century he 
came to North Carolina and settled on 
Neuse river about thirty miles above 
Newbern. He became _ sheriff of the 
county. When God converted him, he 
became a Baptist, to the grief and amaze- 
ment of his friends. In 1756 he and oth- 


ers organized a church on South-west 
creek, Lenoir county. In 1781 he gath- 
ered ten members at Chinguapin Chapel, 
Jones county Here he was ordained to 
the full work of the ministry by Abraham 
Baker and Robe:t Nixon. In 1796 Dil'a- 
hunty left the State for Tennessee, and the 
following year organized a Baptist church 
on Richland creek, Benedict says of this 
church that is was ‘“‘the first Baptist 
church which was gathered on the South 
side of the Cumberlznd river. The Rev. 
John Dillahunty tock the care of this 
church at its commencement, and he con- 
tinues their much _ respected pastor.”’ 
—Benedict’s History, of 1813. After a 
jong and useful ministry of nearly fifty 
years, he died in 1816, at the advanced 
age of 88 years. | 


WILLIAM WELLS 


was born about the middle of the 18t 

century. Onathe Westside of the W. & 
W. Railroad, not far from the public 
road leading from Magnolia to Concord 
Baptist church, there stands an old, di- 
lapidated building,—if indeed it is yet 
standing,—which has been pointed out to 
meas the old home of this consecrated 
minister of the Gospel. The first years 
of his ministry were spent with the Meth- 
odist denomination. I have in my pos- 
session an old Methodist Discipline, print- 
ed about 1797, which was once his prop- 
erty. There is a tradition, as I learned 


from Mrs. James Heath, his grand-daugh- 
ter, several years ago, that while Bro. 
Wells was a’ Methodist ministrr, he and 
one of the Coopers—Wiliam or Fleet— 
agreed to have a public debate on bap- 
tism at Bull Tail, now called Wells’ 
Chapel. Brother Wells, to fortify him- 
self. began adiligent and prayerful search 
of the Scriptures,—a dangerous thing for 
a Pedobaptist to do, who wishes to re- 
main steadfast in his views upon that 
subject. The result was thaton the day 
appointed for the debate, the disputants 
found themselves onthe same side of ehe 
question; and consequently, the debate 
was called off, and Brother Wells hence- 
forth became a devout believer in, and 
defender oi, the Baptist faith. 


One peculiarity of Kro. Weils was his 
refusal to accept compensation for m:nis- 
terial and pastoral labor. He had seen 
the evil of ‘‘compulsory support” by taxa- 
tion during the existence of the State 
establishment, and had swung, hkemany 
others, from that extreme to the opposite 
extreme of ‘no support’”’ at all fromthe 
churches. On one occasion, Bro. Wells, 
after having preached, and before leaving 
the house was tendered a purse of about 
$20.00. Hereluctantly took it, and then 
passed it to a poor widow near him. The 
brethren were aggrieved. ‘‘Why,”’ said 
he, ‘‘after you gave it to me, was it not 
mine to dispose of asI pieased?”? ‘Yes,’ 


said they. ‘‘Besides,’” he continued, 
you will readily admit that this poor 
widow needs the money worse than [ do.”’ 
Thus he silenced them. 


ELDER FRANCES OLIVER 


came from Virginia to Onslow county in 
early life. He came to Duplin county 
about 1783 and settled upon a piantation 
near Bear Marsh church, which is still 
held and occupied by some of his descend- 
ants. Mr. Joseph B. Oliver, one of his 
grand-sons, and one of Duplin’s foremost 
citizens, now lives upon the plantation. 
Frances Oliver served his adopted State 
as a member of the Convention to consider 
the Federal Constitution. 

He was ordained to the pastorate of 
Bear Marsh church May 17,1792. During 
his pastorate he was actively engaged in 
mission work among those destitute of 
Gospel privileges. Pleasant Plains, Na- 
hunga, (now called Johnson), and Thun- 
der Swamp churches were some of the 
fruits of his missionary labors 

Elder Oliver, while on a visit to kin- 
dred in Georgia. was attacked by a sick- 
ness which terminated in his death. This 
occurred in 1808 in the State of Georgia. 

Brethren, I have lingered to teil you 
what little I know about some of the 
brethren who were often moved by the 
spirit to come to Island Creek to worship 
God and enjoy the sweet fellowship of 
your fathers. 


Brethren, while we honor the fathers 
for the great work they accomplished in 
their day of limited opportunities and ad- 
vantages, let us not forget that the great 
Head of the church expects of us far 
greater results with our far superior 
facilities and wide open doors of opportu- 
nity. Christ has mede the fulfilment of 
His gracious willin the furtherauce of His 
Kingdom the burden of the daily prayer 
of His people. Oh! that He may bless 
you with an over-mastering desire and 
purpose to be faithful to Him, and to the 
solemn obligations you voluntarily as- 
sumed as members of His church! 


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